Spring is a prime time for crappie fishing across Georgia, as warming water temperatures trigger fish to move into shallow areas to spawn. During this period, crappie can often be found in 3–8 feet of water around structure such as brush piles, fallen timber, docks, and aquatic vegetation. Because they are schooling fish, once you locate one, there are usually several more nearby. Live minnows and small jigs are among the most effective baits, especially when fished under a float or slowly retrieved through cover. Early mornings and late afternoons typically produce the best action, particularly as water temperatures rise into the mid-60s and above. Public lakes, reservoirs, and smaller ponds throughout the state offer excellent opportunities for both boat and bank anglers. Whether you’re targeting a limit for the table or just enjoying time outdoors, spring crappie fishing provides consistent action and a rewarding experience.

NEWS TO KNOW:

• • The Blue Ridge Trout Festival is April 26, 2026 in downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia. Meet World Fly Casting champion, Rene Hesse. Details and vendor information can be found at blueridgetroutfest.com.
  • New Black Bass Conservation License Plate Available: Georgia anglers can now purchase a specialty license plate featuring a largemouth bass, with proceeds supporting fisheries conservation, habitat improvements, research, stocking programs, and education efforts across the state. Learn more: GeorgiaWildlife.com/licenseplates.
  • McDuffie Public Fishing Area– Dearing, GA: A newly installed bridge at Bridge Lake now provides improved, safer access for anglers, restoring access to this popular fishing location. Learn more and plan your visit: https://georgiawildlife.com/mcduffie-pfa

This week, we have fishing reports from Central, Southeast, and Southwest Georgia, Central Report will be back next week! Spring crappie fishing is heating up across Georgia as fish move shallow to spawn, making it a perfect time to target them around brush, docks, and vegetation—Go Fish Georgia!

CENTRAL GEORGIA

Sorry y’all, our fisheries folks are out doing fisheries stuff. The Central Georgia Report will return next week!

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Joshua Barber with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

The panfish bite has been starting to fire up this week. The saltwater bite has also been improving. Most rivers are VERY low right now but if you can find some deeper areas in them you should get on some fish.

River Gages as of April 16th:

• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 5.4 feet and falling
• Lumber City on the Ocmulgee – 2.0 feet and falling
• Clyo on the Savannah – 3.2 feet and steady
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 1.9 feet and steady
• Alapaha on the Alapaha – 2.7 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla – 4.5 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 3.2 feet and falling
• Quitman on the Withlacoochee – 1.6 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the Saint Marys – 1.8 feet and steady
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 1.0 feet and steady

New Moon is on April 17th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website (waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/rt). For the latest marine forecast, check out www.weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVERS

Mark and Sabrina Williams fished at Altamaha Regional Park last Thursday. The couple caught multiple big shellcrackers while using red worms on the bottom. An angler caught a bass that weighed over 7 pounds last week on the lower river. I was told that an angler landed a bass that weighed over 11 pounds last week from the Altamaha. Another angler reported fishing the Ocmulgee last week and caught 8 nice bass. The biggest weighed around 5 pounds. I caught a river tank on the Ocmulgee last weekend (didn’t weigh it though).

SATILLA RIVER

Morris Carter fished the lower river for around 2 ½ hours last Saturday and caught 17 panfish (redbreasts and bluegill) and 2 nice sized channel catfish. He was using worms and pitching them in deep holes on bottom. Two anglers reported over 100 panfish recently on the river, and another angler caught 50 recently. Dale Anderson and Chad Day caught a few flathead catfish last Saturday night. The biggest pulled the scales down to 27 pounds!

ST. MARYS RIVER

Dale Anderson and Chad Day fished out of Traders Hill last Friday afternoon for panfish. Dale said that the bite was very slow as they caught 15 panfish (several different species).

WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER

Jim O’Conner (The River Expert) went on a 3 ½ hour trip last week and caught 39 fish (20 bream, 18 Suwannee bass, and 1 largemouth). A karashi bait and a black/blue jig worked the best. Jim fished at creek also and landed a 20 plus inch bass on the very first cast! He caught it on a Neko rig.

LAKES AND PONDS

Jimmy Zinker fished at a Worth County pond yesterday (April 15^th) morning and caught two bass, but they were the ones he was looking for. One weighed almost 6 pounds and the other was around 5 pounds. They ate a Zara Spook. Jimmy went back this morning to the pond and caught 10 bass up to 5 pounds. Nine were caught on a Zara Spook and the other one was on a buzzbait. An angler recently reported catching a bass that weighed around 6 pounds at Banks Lake. Danny Cooley fished at Paradise Public Fishing Area last Friday afternoon and caught 5 bass up to around 5 pounds. He went back the next day (Saturday) and the bite was similar. However, he hung one that was around 9 or 10 pounds that wrapped him up on a limb and pulled off. Jim O’Conner fished at some Adel area ponds and caught over 20 bass (13-16 inch range). A 4-inch watermelon seed finesse worm fooled them. Dean Barber reported that at Paradise Public Fishing Area the bass are being caught off structure. The bream bite has been hit or miss there last week. An angler named Jerry caught a bass that weighed around 5 or 6 pounds at Ocmulgee Public Fishing Area last Friday on live bait.

DODGE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman, GA)

Ken Burke fished last Friday and caught 8 nice bass that weighed a combined 15 pounds (big fish weighed 3.25-lbs). He caught them by using a shakey head and a crankbait in less than 10 feet of water. Steve Eady fished yesterday (April 15^th) off the pier and caught 3 crappie and 1 bluegill while using live minnows.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

A Homerville area man reported that they are smoking the warmouth at Kingfisher Landing. Dale Anderson and Chad Day fished the east side last Friday and they caught 20 warmouth. They also caught some jackfish and mudfish. Gentry and Chip fished with Captain Bert Deener last Friday on the east side of the Okefenokee. They caught around 30 fish on their half-day trip. Their two biggest bowfin weighed 6-lb. 10-oz. and 6-lb. 2-oz. Chip caught the 6-lb 2-oz. and it earned him a youth angler award from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division. Lemon-lime and firetiger/chartreuse blade were the best colored Dura-Spins on the trip. Captain Bert fished with his daughter Ellie and her boyfriend Josh last Saturday evening for a couple hours, and they had a blast catching fliers! They caught and released 43 fliers up to 7 ½ inches long. They used tenkara poles and bream busters rigged with chartreuse, pink, and black gnat Okefenokee Swamp Sallies. The boat ramp on the west side (Stephen C. Foster State Park) is currently closed due to some renovations that are taking place around the boat basin. They estimate that it will probably be at least early May before it is reopened. Anglers can still launch kayaks and canoes though. Captain Bert Deener offers guided fishing trips in the Okefenokee. To book a trip with him, visit his website bertsjigsandthings.com. Latest Swamp level (before the recent rain) on the east side was 119.65 feet. Be careful driving your boat with the low water conditions.

SALTWATER (Georgia Coast)

Scott Smith fished the Buffalo Creek area last Friday and caught around 25 trout. Live shrimp worked best. Captain Greg Hildreth reported that the offshore sheepshead bite has been good, and so has the whiting bite in the sounds. Steve Hampton caught some nice sized flounder (biggest measured 17 ½ inches long) recently at the Jekyll Island pier recently. He used mud minnows to fool them. He also said that the anglers who are using artificial baits are catching smaller flounder than with live bait. A Saint Marys area man told me that the trout are starting to bite in Crooked River. Captain Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) took Mary Roeder and Kurt Kohfield on a guided trip in the Saint Simons area last Friday. They caught 23 fish (14 trout and 9 redfish) on Tourney Tackle jigheads tipped with live shrimp. Captain Tim fished on Saturday with his family and they boated 31 fish (24 whiting, 6 trout, and a nice black drum). On Monday, Captain Tim fished with Micheal Andrews and Patrick. They pulled in 6 nice trout, 6 flounder, and a pompano.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Hawkinsville)

• Ocmulgee PFA Info
• Ocmulgee PFA Fishing Guide

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR DUBLIN)

• Hugh Gillis PFA Information
• Hugh Gillis PFA Fishing Guide

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR EASTMAN)

• Dodge County PFA Information  
• Dodge County Fishing Guide

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Paradise Public Fishing Area Information 
• Paradise PFA Fishing Guide

Before your next fishing trip, stop by Winge’s Bait and Tackle located at 440 Memorial Drive in Waycross. They have all the tackle you need for a successful trip! For their hours, call 912-283-9400.

If you have any fishing reports or fish pictures that you would like to be included in this report, email them to me joshuabfishhunter@gmail.com or send them through Messenger on Southern Waters Fishing Report’s Facebook Page.

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Caroline Cox, Fisheries Biologist, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

Lake Blackshear water temperatures have been around low to high 70’s this past week. Crappies are still a popular catch on the lake still. These fish are still spread out with some being deeper and some in the shallows. The fish in the shallows have been reported to be in spawn, with females caught holding eggs. Crappie will aggregate together in 4-6ft of water with some vegetation, ideally water primrose, as they are broadcast spawners that hide their eggs in the vegetation. If you want to catch them, check the shallows more towards the mouth of the sloughs with some good flow through, as the backwater sloughs are now too warm for them.

Also keep your eye out for Crappie that are tagged! GA DNR is conducting a study and need your help! There is a phone number on the tag to call, and you will need to give the four-digit ID number on the tag along with some information. You will be entered into a drawing to win a gift card by reporting the tagged fish.

Largemouth Bass are now entering post spawn, though there are some lingering pairs in the shallows. However, this will be to your favor as now they are in feeding mode.

LAKE WALTER F GEORGE 

Bass fishing is good on Walter F George, Ken Sturdivant with Southern Fishing reports. The bass are shallow. Most anglers are reporting catches on swim jigs, ChatterBaits, plastics, buzz baits and on spinnerbaits when there is cloud cover. There have been some great catches in the last few weeks with quite a few bass weighing more than 8 pounds being caught. With the weather warm the shad will start spawning and it will really get crazy. Many are catching bass behind cover on the bank early with Texas rigged worms and lizards. Try punching thicker cover and catching better fish. Any cover is still holding fish when the shallow bite slows.

Reports of good catches of several other species are also occurring. Anglers are catching crappie both shallow and deep. Minnows and jigs seem to both be effective. The number of red ear sunfish or shellcracker are on the increase this year. These fish are or will be spawning soon and found in large beds, red wigglers under a float should do the trick. Also, good catches of both blue and channel catfish are being reported. Bottom fish or noodling with cut bait or other favorites are doing the trick.

LAKE SEMINOLE 

According to Ken Sturdivant with Southern Fishing, bass fishing is good. The bass are shallow lake-wide on the spawn. Any pre-spawn fish are still staging near spawning flats and mouths of spawning coves. All these fish are aggressive and shallow running crank baits, such as a Spro Fat John in citrus shad or a bladed jig in black and blue with a Big Bite Baits 5-inch Cane Thumper in hematoma as the trailer, are good options. Use 16-pound test Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon for either of these techniques. Beating the banks all day will be easy. These areas are holding fish because of the sand near the bank where the fish are either spawning or moving up to spawn. For newcomers to the lake use the Lowrance C-Map with Insight mapping to see the shallow areas. Most of the ponds off Spring Creek and Fish Pond Drain stay clear year round. The water is a little warmer there and good-sized bass are on the bed. When searching for shallow fish use a good pair of polarized glasses and cast around while searching. While searching use a 7-inch Big Bite Baits Sugar Cane worm in green pumpkin. Rig this on a Fish Catchin Fool Bobber Stopper FCF 3/16-ounce tungsten and a 4/0 Gamakatsu Offset Worm Hook. This bait is deadly around bass that are cruising all spring and summer.

NORTH GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of James Miles, Fisheries Biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

RESERVOIR REPORT 

LAKE ALLATOONA (courtesy of Georgia Outdoor News)

• Level: 6.5 feet below 840.
• Temp: Low 60s.
• Clarity: Slightly stained.

Bass — Jason Muhlbauer, creator of The Fish School and local fishing guide, reports, “April is my favorite month of the year to get out and fish on Lake Allatoona. Bass are up on the banks in all three phases of the spawn and can be caught power-fishing, finesse fishing and just about using any technique you enjoy throwing. Prespawn fish can still be found chasing baitfish, while spawning bass can be located on banks with shallow rock and sand, or in pockets with shade from overhanging trees or docks. If you find pockets with laydowns, they can be great pieces of cover to target, since both spawning and postspawn fish use them as ambush or recovery points. My staple baits for April on Allatoona are a shaky head, a jerkbait and a creature bait. A 1/8-oz. Picasso Shakey Pro Jig Head tipped with a Rutherford Tackle 6.3-inch Big Time Worm in any green pumpkin variation is where I start. It is not uncommon to catch 50-plus fish a day on a shaky head this time of year. Cast it around any shallow rocky bank, points or pockets until you begin to narrow down a pattern of where the fish are located on that given day. If it is windy or if I am trying to cover water, a jerkbait is my next option. You can’t go wrong with a SPRO McStick, but there are a lot of good options out there. Use colors with flash on days with sun and wind, but go with a more solid or bone color when it is overcast. If you see a fish come up and chase your jerkbait, but it does not commit to eating it, pick up the shaky head and cast directly back to where you saw that fish. Often, these spawning fish will try to ‘chase’ a jerkbait off their bed but will go right back down to the bottom and can be caught with the worm. My third presentation is some variation of a creature bait. Lizards are great in the springtime as they are natural predators to bass eggs, but a Rutherford Tackle 3.3-inch Evo Bug is another great option. You can flip these baits into laydowns, around and under docks, or throw them both on a Carolina rig if you are faced with calm conditions and still want to cover water. As the weather warms, so does the boat traffic, so be careful out there and always wear your life jacket!”

Linesides– Robert Eidson, Robert Eidson, of First Bite Guide Service, reports, “Lineside fishing is good and should only improve as we head into April. The hybrids have begun their spawn runs up both the Etowah and Little rivers, with most catches being prespawn. This river bite is expected to remain steady through mid-May. The main lake is also fishing well. Fish are staging for the rivers and beginning to school from the Little River Bridge up to the Delta, as well as from the S-turns to Kellogg Creek. Additionally, there is a decent south-end bite occurring from Iron Hill to the bay in front of 3rd Army. Fish on the main lake are high in the water column and difficult to mark on 2D sonar. If you have a Humminbird sidescan, I recommend setting it to 60 feet on both sides to locate them. If you do not have sidescan, the best approach is to put out a spread of planer boards and freelines, pulling along the banks and in open water. Planer boards and freelining live shad have accounted for roughly 95% of our catch on both Lake Allatoona and Carters Lake. Small to mid-sized gizzard shad and threadfins have been the most effective bait.”

Crappie — Robbie DeHaas, aka. CEO of Allatoona “Team Geezers,” and of Red Rooster Custom Baits, reports, “April is a fantastic time to be crappie fishing on Lake Allatoona. April is typically a transitional month; in the first couple of weeks, we are still longline trolling for active crappie as the water temperatures are in the low to mid-60s. Things start to change toward mid to late April as the days and nights warm the water to the high 60s and into the 70s. Once Allatoona warms to 65 degrees, it’s time to break out the bobbers and start fishing shallow water. Springtime is spawn time! The crappie will move into their spawning areas, benefiting both boaters and bank fishermen. If you do not have access to a boat, all you need is a bobber and a tiny jig, like the Red Rooster Dagger crappie jig or a hair jig, and of course, crappie minnows. Any of these three presentations is sure to get a bite during this time of year. Set your jig or minnow about 12 to 18 inches below your bobber and get ready for some fast, furious crappie action. Target areas are coves, small cuts or the very backs of creeks. You want to pitch your jig toward stickups, logs, brush, rocky points and any docks with shallow water. Another area is any cove or cut with trash and driftwood. These are all hot places to target crappie during the April spawn. With that being said, we do want to stress the importance of lake conservation. We strongly urge everyone to harvest only what they intend to eat, and if you have the opportunity, release any crappie larger than 12 inches. Those big crappie are the key to keeping Lake Allatoona stocked for generations to come. April also has a very special day where we celebrate the day that history changed and gave hope to all mankind through the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Allatoona Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including Allatoona, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

LAKE HARTWELL (courtesy of Angler Headquarters) —

Bass – Guide Lane Clark (864-254-8614) reports that April is the biggest spawning month on Lake Hartwell, and in the beginning of the month there will be mostly pre-spawn fish while by the end of the month more of them will be post-spawn. However, the spawn will almost always continue into May. Depending on water conditions, spinnerbaits and soft plastics such as floating worms or Carolina rigs will work well this month when most fish can be caught shallow. This month the herring spawn will also kick off and overlap with the bass spawn. In short, April is about the best time of the year to fish for bass on Lake Hartwell.

Striper and Hybrids– Captain Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that through most of April fish should be caught up the rivers and major creeks. Early they will be caught shallow off points, while as the sun rises they will pull out to mid-depths in the same areas. Pitching free-lines will work at both times, but you can also fish down-lines very shallow early and then deeper later. While this pattern will last most of April, if it gets hot earlier than usual then fish will start to go deeper and ease back down the creeks and rivers.

Crappie– Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that in April the crappie will complete their spawn on Lake Hartwell, especially with so many having spawned in March. Spawning fish can be caught relatively shallow on minnows or jigs. Post-spawn crappie will usually move back onto mid-depth brush or docks as was already starting late in March.

Catfish– Captain Bill Plumley reports that in March the blues still had not gotten into the creeks, but in April it should happen. The channel catfish will also start to bite well in April on any number of baits from worms to chicken livers to cut fish, while the flatheads should be feeding well on live bait by the end of the month.

LAKE LANIER (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, The Southern Fishing Report)

LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 5 FEET, 60’S

Bass: (Via Phil Johnson, Pjohnson15@hotmail.com (770) 366 8845 via The Southern Fishing Report) reports fishing on Lake Lanier is very good. The lake is currently five feet below full pool with the water temperature running in the low sixties. Overall the lake is clear. There are several techniques working well right now in the less than twenty feet of water range including the spinnerbait, Spot Choker underspin, Ima Skimmer, Wacky rig, Fluke, Shakey Head and Neko rig. To start with, the herring spawn is going on with the key spawning areas being hard surfaces such as red clay points, bridge pilings, blow through and marina walls. Often you will smell the area the shad are spawning before you see the surface flickers they make. Early in the morning a top water bait worked slowly around the spawn will draw strikes with the quarter ounce Spot Choker with a Keltic or a white spinnerbait with silver blades working also. Another good bait choice is a chartreuse fluke worked in the same spawn areas. On the marina walls, work them parallel with the spinner bait, Spot Choker and Fluke, This is the area that it will be easier to see the herring moving around, Away from the spawn the long red clay points and flats with rocks and reef poles have been productive areas for spotted bass. The spinnerbait and the SpotChoker have been producing some very quality fish in these areas. The top water bite is just getting started on the humps and ends of long points so keep the Ima Skimmer and Riser handy as these fish get more post spawn and the water temperature continues to rise, Right now is one of the greatest times of the year on Lanier with over twenty bass per day and many three and four pound bass being caught. Get out and enjoy what makes Lake Lanier so special and Go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Biologist Report (Courtesy of Josh Stafford, WRD Fisheries Biologist)

Stafford finished their annual spring boat sampling this past week. Throughout their sampling they were able to get on a good number of quality Alabama and Largemouth Bass. Many of this fish we’re in the 4–5-pound range. We hope anglers get out there this spring and take advantage of this great fishing weather!

Ever thought about chasing Stripers on the fly? Checkout this great  article by Tad Murdock at Georgia Wild Trout Guide Service to help get you started. Find it at georgiawildtrout.com/post/fly-fishing-for-striper-in-georgia.

Lanier Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including Lanier, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

WEISS LAKE

Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, The Southern Fishing Report) — WEISS LAKE DOWN 1.5 FEET, CLEAR, 70’S- Fishing is fair. It is a little tough with the spawning. The fish are in several stages of the spawn right now. The baitfish are starting to make their way shallow to spawn. Early in the mornings key on the shad spawn to try and get a quick limit and catch a couple of big fish feeding up on the shallow bait. Zoom Super Flukes, top water lures and spinnerbaits are the best lures to use for this early bite and some days can be good all day. If this bite slows down catch some respawn and spawning bass in secondary points and pockets using soft plastics.

WEST POINT LAKE (courtesy of Georgia Outdoor News)

• Level: 2 feet below 635.
• Temp: Upper 60s to middle 70s.
• Clarity: Fairly stained with recent rain.

Bass–Guide Keith Hudson, with Keith Hudson’s Lake West Point Guide Service, said “Good. April is usually my favorite month for all types of fishing in general. The weather is usually beautiful and fairly consistent. Bass can be caught on several different patterns. Topwater baits such as Pop-Rs, Zara Spooks and buzzbaits can be extremely effective for shallow and aggressive prespawn and spawning fish. The second pattern that works really well is to look for spawning shad. Try fishing rip-rap around bridges with spinnerbaits, small crankbaits and Zoom Super Flukes. Additionally, some big tournament sacks of largemouth are weighed in April by guys who sight fish, targeting fish locked on the bed. A Yamamoto Senko or merthiolate Trick Worm rigged weightless will do the trick. This can sometimes be an aggravating way to fish, but it can pay off in a tournament win. Most bedding pockets have a feeder creek in them with some stumps, so seek out those type areas. Lots of spotted bass spawn in April and are caught by just dragging a Carolina-rigged Zoom Finesse worm or lizard around sloping gravel banks, especially on the south end of the lake. This tactic normally works very well for numbers.”

Linesides– Guide Keith Hudson also reports, “Excellent. Expect a strong river run from the hybrids and white bass this year until at least mid-April, after a pretty mediocre run in February and March. The hybrids have made a big comeback since the DNR has been stocking them again for the past several years. Most of these fish are mature enough this year to guarantee a big run. Try live or cutbait (even chicken livers will work at times) fished in holes from Grayson’s Landing to Franklin. Spray your bait with a little garlic scent for even more bites. They can also be caught on curly tail grubs cast into the mouths of little feeder creeks up the river, as well. Some fish, especially immature stripers, will, as usual, always remain down on the main lake, as well, and can be caught on small crankbaits, topwaters and popping cork rigs. Also, try the rip-rap around the bridges at daylight. The shad spawn should start soon!”

Crappie– Guide Keith Hudson also reports, “Good. After an unusually up-and-down weather pattern in March, there should be a good second wave of spawning crappie coming up in early to mid-April this year. During April, crappie can be in all stages of the spawning process. Crappie can be easier to catch in slightly stained water, especially if you have shallow brush, blowdowns, rip-rap or natural chunk rock structure. Cuts and coves north of Highland Marina seem to get really good in April. Try casting small jigs under a float or minnows under a float. Spawned out fish will typically move out and hold on to deeper structure for a while to recover. Night fishing should also improve in late April.”

Panfish– Guide Keith Hudson also reports, “Don’t forget about our bream and shellcracker for the next few months! Finding an active bed can take a little effort, but when you do, you can have a ball. West Point has turned into a really good lake for some big shellcracker in the past few years. Bedding usually takes place on the full moon cycles in April and May. Look for shallow cover in the backs of pockets. Sandy flats and stump beds tend to draw the fish like a magnet. Use live pink worms, crickets and small jigs for the best results.”

West Point Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including West Point, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

LAKE YONAH (Courtesy of Kyle Rempe, WRD Fisheries Biologist) —

Catfish- Flathead Catfish in Lake Yonah were first sampled by GADNR in fall of 2025 during standardized gill netting efforts. They had previously been caught directly upstream in Lake Tugalo and were also found in even greater numbers downstream, within Lake Hartwell. Flathead Catfish are not native to any of the aforementioned water bodies and are thus considered an Aquatic Nuisance Species there, with the potential to cause irreversible ecological damage to native species. Because their numbers still remain somewhat low in the Georgia Power Mountain lakes (such as Yonah), we urge anglers to harvest them if they are caught. Pictured is a much larger 18-pound Flathead Catfish just caught out of the lake last week by angler Anthony Goff.

For those looking to learn more about Aquatic Nuisance Species like the Flathead Catfish in Northeast Georgia, please check out the following informational page: https://georgiawildlife.com/ans. Please note that the movement of fish between waterbodies is illegal.

SMALL LAKE REPORT 

Private Lake Fishing (Courtesy of Jeff Durniak, Unicoi Outfitters) – From UO buddy RSquared– “This past week, I was blessed to have a few hours to fish my favorite private lake. I had recently received a beautiful Winston 7wt and was desperately wanting to try it out on some Largemouth Bass. I started the afternoon with a “Popper-Dropper Rig.” I had a yellow Boogle Bug popper as my top fly and a Sinking Cricket with green legs as my dropper. This combination proved to be very effective on both bass & bream. As the sun began to set, I switched to a single black Stealth Bomber. The bass loved this offering & continued to attack it until it became too dark to fish.”

Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area Report:

• Rocky Mountain PFA Information

RIVER REPORT

Hybrid Fishing (Courtesy of Jack Becker aka Georgia Waterdog Aquadog45@gmail.com) —

This is the time of year hybrids move up the Tugalo river from Lake Hartwell. I have been fishing them in the spring the past three years and do well above highway 120 bridge to the old Confederate bridge pilings. It’s a good stretch of the river up that way. I made a trip this week and was really surprised how low the water was. If you go be very careful and make sure you have mapping for that area of the river you won’t have it all the way to the bridge but you have it far enough that if you go SLOW and watch your mapping and sonar you can make it. The water temperature is 59.6 and the stretches up river where you have 12 to 15 foot of water held a lot of fish. We caught 37 hybrids a few spotted bass and one nice walleye. All on live bait. (Blueback Herring).  Using spotlock whenever we caught a fish, we had doubles and triples many times before we moved. I use a splasher prop and a Minithumper fish attractor. if you want more information on the splasher prop or Minithumper please contact me by email or check http://www.minithumper.com.

Wes’ Hot Fly List:

• Dries: Tan and gray elk hair caddis, BWO, Parachute Adams, para light cahill, emerger caddis, Drymerger, stimulator, micro chubby.
• Nymphs & Wets: Squirmies, Mops, Lightning bug, soft hackle hares ear and pheasant tail, frenchie, pink tag jig, micro girdle bugs.
• Mountain streams: Pheasant tail, killer may, prince nymph, soft hackle partridge.
• Streamers: UV polar jig, jiggy fry, sparkle minnow, bank robber sculpin.

Headwaters–

Same old story: low and clear and full of hungry but spooky fish. Stealth, soft casts, and a good drift with a small tan caddis or Adams will get you into risers all day long. Trophies will be anything over 8 inches, but they are all pretty and hard-fighting for their size.

Delayed Harvest– Low, clear water and a large number and variety of hatching bugs are providing great conditions for dry/dropper and double dry rigs. Try dry/droppers during the day and then single or double dries as the sun sets, the bugs buzz the stream surface, and trout rise.

UO guide Sydney: “I enjoyed some dry fly time after work at Smith DH. A size 16 tan elk hair caddis did the trick as the sun fell behind the ridge top and shadows fell across the water.”

UO buddy JS: “Smith Creek: the fish were rising so the dry/dropper combo was working well. I used a March brown dry with a tellico nymph as the dropper. We went late in the afternoon when most of the crowd had left. My grandkids had so much fun during their spring break!”

Stockers– Stocker season is at its prime and GAWRD has another long weekly list for us today.  Get your kids and trouting rookies out there soon. Whether it’s a worm on a spincast rig or a woolly bugger on a fly rod, get them on a few fish. Check out the stocking list here and sign up to get your own copy each Friday afternoon. https://georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout

Private Waters– Streams are low and clear and fish are picky.  We had a brief respite after the Easter rains and lucky anglers cashed in for a couple days.

UO guide Como said his Soque clients drifted pink San Juan worms in the stained water early this week and had some great action on rainbows.

UO guide Sydney: “Had a nice midweek Soque trip with some people new to fly fishing.  We made it happen with some micro egg and stonefly nymphs as my lead fly and soft hackles as my droppers. “

Tailwaters– UO buddy Ryan: “The Hooch action is heating up with every week that goes by of fish stocking.  I got out with my dad last weekend and caught a few in between guiding him around.  I’m excited for the weeks to come and more 20-40+ fish days!

Trout Fishing Opportunities for Those With Disabilities: Find sites that are open to the public and offer specific amenities for anglers with disabilities at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/trout.

Upcoming Trout Festival: The Blue Ridge Trout Festival is April 26, 2026 in downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia. Meet World Fly Casting champion, Rene Hesse. Details and vendor information can be found at blueridgetroutfest.com.

Supporting Trout Fishing: Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia?  Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this year. See more info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/licenseplates.  Aside from being a great looking tag, each purchase or renewal of a Trout Unlimited license plate directly supports Georgia’s trout conservation and management programs which can be found at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/trout. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.